Sermons of the Eid al-Fitr Prayer

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Thanks be to God, the Lord of the worlds. Thanks be to God who created the heavens and the earth and made darkness and light; then those who disbelieved in their Lord equate (others with Him). I praise Him, seek His help, ask for His forgiveness, and rely on Him. I send blessings and peace upon His beloved, His chosen one, the best of His creation, the guardian of His secrets, and the deliverer of His messages, our beloved Abu al-Qasim al-Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his pure and chosen progeny, the guided ones, especially the Awaited One of God among the inhabitants of the earth. And I send blessings upon the leaders of the Muslims, the protectors of the oppressed, and the guides of the believers. I advise you, O servants of God, and myself, to observe piety towards God.

I congratulate all the Islamic Ummah, the dear nation of Iran, and you, the esteemed and honored worshippers, on the blessed Eid al-Fitr, and I recommend all of us to observe divine piety and to adhere to the commands and prohibitions of the Lord in every word, deed, and thought.

We thank the Almighty God for granting us the opportunity, for bestowing upon us life, to witness another month of Ramadan and another Eid al-Fitr. It is a great blessing to experience the month of divine hospitality. Our nation has truly benefited greatly from this month; they have appreciated this noble and dear month. These gatherings, these assemblies, these recitations, these remembrances, these supplications, and these programs in which the hearts of many young people and their pure souls participated, God willing, open the doors of divine mercy upon the nation. One must appreciate it.

The spirit of spirituality and devotion to the connection with the sacred essence of the One is deeply rooted in our people. Some may make mistakes in their personal lives, but Ramadan provides them the opportunity to return to the Almighty God, to pay attention, to remember, and to repent. In all human beings, this spirit of connection with spirituality exists; it is expressed poetically:

The heart's soil on the day it was poured A dew of love was sprinkled upon it.

This love is not materialistic; it is not lustful; it is love for God; it is love for the essence of the One; it is love for the very existence that is inherent in all human beings; it is ingrained; "the nature of God upon which He created mankind."

Material factors, material motivations, material attractions, are like thorns and debris that cover this gem. When Ramadan comes, it is as if a breeze removes these impurities, revealing the gem, and attention to the Almighty God awakens the soul. Therefore, in this Ramadan, like most past Ramadans, we witnessed all people, of various tastes, different behaviors, and diverse clothing, participating in these gatherings, especially during the blessed nights of Qadr, benefiting, utilizing, and shedding tears.

When the heart is filled with sorrow, There is a kebab that is salted.

The eye of the lover that sheds pure tears, Is the same blood that drips from the kebab.

These tears that flow from the eyes are, in fact, from a vigilant and pure heart that emerges and bubbles forth. Our dear people must appreciate this. You have gained a treasure, you have accumulated a product in this blessed month; preserve it; you have become familiar with the Quran. Preserve this familiarity. Maintain the congregational prayers on time, the prayers in the mosque, the prayers with presence and attentiveness throughout the year, and as much as possible, do not allow these material factors, these thorns, these material ashes to settle upon this gem. A nation that preserves these characteristics within itself and maintains this spiritual ascent and moral development will succeed in all fields - in the material realm, in the spiritual realm, in dignity, in power, and in creating all national assets. And God willing, this will come to pass for our nation.

Today is also the day of Eid al-Fitr, which in the narration of "Reasons": "It is a day of celebration, a day of gathering, a day of breaking the fast, a day of almsgiving, a day of desire, and a day of supplication." It is both a celebration and a day of gathering for the people. Today, throughout the Islamic world, Muslims celebrate Eid. This turning of hearts towards one point at one time is a great opportunity for the Islamic Ummah. "A day of almsgiving and a day of desire"; it is a day when you show desire towards the Almighty God. "And a day of supplication"; it is a day when one supplicates to God. This Eid is the Eid of attention; it is the Eid of meaning. We hope that the Almighty God grants us the ability to utilize the divine blessings today, which is the day of Eid and the blessed Friday.

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Say, He is God, the One. God, the Eternal. He neither begets nor is born, and there is none comparable to Him.

In the second sermon

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Thanks be to God, the Lord of the worlds. And blessings and peace be upon our master and prophet, Abu al-Qasim al-Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his pure and chosen progeny, the guided ones, especially Ali, the Commander of the Faithful, and the pure Fatimah, and Hasan and Husayn, the masters of the youth of Paradise, and Ali ibn Husayn, and Muhammad ibn Ali, and Ja'far ibn Muhammad, and Musa ibn Ja'far, and Ali ibn Musa, and Muhammad ibn Ali, and Ali ibn Muhammad, and Hasan ibn Ali, and the Awaited Mahdi, may God's blessings be upon them all. And I send blessings upon the leaders of the Muslims, the protectors of the oppressed, and the guides of the believers. I advise you and myself, O servants of God, to observe piety towards God.

The first matter I wish to address in the second sermon is to express gratitude to the great nation of Iran on the occasion of the magnificent movement of Quds Day. The Iranian nation demonstrated its vitality, spirit, determination, and awareness in this great gathering. Thirty-one years have passed since our great Imam declared this day, and the enemies expected it to fade day by day and be forgotten. Thanks be to God that this motivation, this blazing flame in the hearts of the people and in their actions has become more prominent day by day. This year, in various countries: in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, America, and Europe, Muslims in different parts of the world commemorated this day, and the great nation of Iran, as the main axis of this great movement of the Islamic Ummah, held this day with great grandeur and demonstrated that under the conditions of international exigencies, it performs its duties with greater warmth, more compellingly, and with more motivation and enthusiasm.

The Zionist regime has escalated its cruelty to the highest degree. Despite the voices of support rising from all corners of the world, it has remained indifferent and committed atrocities. In these circumstances, the Muslim nation of Iran commemorated Quds Day this year with greater warmth and honor than in all previous years. The malicious efforts of America and the West against the Islamic Republic have motivated our nation even more. In this issue, which for global arrogance and the world’s dominators is a matter they wish to isolate by any means possible, the Iranian nation has brought it to the forefront. Kudos to this great nation.

Hope and motivation are palpable in the behavior and speech of our dear people. I observed the reflection of this hope and motivation this year in meetings with students, with academics and elites, with key officials and leaders of the country and the system, with senior managers, with entrepreneurs, and in meetings with various groups during Ramadan; I saw this hope and motivation in their words, in their demeanor, and in their faces. A nation that possesses such hope looks towards the future with optimism and determination; this nation will undoubtedly and certainly reach the peaks.

In global and regional issues, there are many matters that are important for the Islamic Ummah, but the most urgent issue is the flood in Pakistan. Its name is flood, but in reality, it is a great calamity, a significant disaster for the Pakistani nation, which is one of the faithful nations of the Islamic Ummah and has always been at the forefront in various matters, demonstrating its faith and religious commitment. This nation is now afflicted by a tremendous disaster. The Indus River has overflowed from north to south of Pakistan; from the border with China in the north to the Indian Ocean in the south, this long line has experienced a massive flood, a great surge of water, a tremendous storm that has completely transformed the lives of the people. More than ten thousand villages have been destroyed; all the farms and orchards that were the source of sustenance for this nation and their hope for exports and wealth have been completely devastated; tens of thousands of schools, mosques, and husseiniyahs along this long line have been destroyed and wiped out. The width of the Indus River - as I have been informed - is normally about two kilometers, but in some places where it connects with other rivers, it has created about ninety kilometers of flooding! People, livestock, lives, homes, and hopes have been lost. It is estimated that around forty to fifty billion dollars in damages have been inflicted on Pakistan due to this flood! Twenty million people have been displaced, and several thousand have died: children, women, the elderly, and the disabled.

These people today need water, food, clothing, shelter, and all the necessities of life. Despite this situation, the people of Pakistan fasted during Ramadan. Today is Eid al-Fitr, a day of gathering, a day for the Islamic Ummah. Our people must strive. The Islamic Republic has provided some assistance, and some people have contributed, but this is not enough; we must help more. This is the duty of all of us. Our believing brothers, our Muslim brothers there are suffering from such a great calamity. This is not only addressed to you, the Iranian nation; it is addressed to the entire Islamic world, to all nations, to all Muslims in Muslim countries, to the Islamic conference; everyone must strive, everyone must help. They have gathered and said now one billion, two billion! Where is this immense need of this nation?! These things will not suffice. Pakistan has suffered a severe blow. Whatever we can, we must help. May God assist us in being able to help as much as we can; this is an important issue.

Of course, we are concerned about the political instability in Pakistan. Aggressive and domineering powers are taking advantage of this situation; opportunists are exploiting it. Some aggressive governments want to turn Pakistan into their military base; these are also other concerns that we hope the resilient nation of Pakistan is aware of. The government of Pakistan knows its duties, and God willing, may God assist them to extricate themselves from this calamity in the best possible way.

The issue of Palestine remains the foremost issue in the Islamic world. Atrocities in Gaza continue unabated. Atrocities in the West Bank continue unabated. The Zionist regime continues its oppression and cruelty against the oppressed people of Palestine with utmost audacity, and meanwhile, they hold a peace conference in Washington! Peace with whom?! They want to cover up the issues of Palestine, the crimes of the enemies of the Palestinian nation with these negotiations they have labeled as "peace talks"! An usurper has come and seized the home of a nation; not content with that, he uses every possible means to suppress this nation, and the indifferent world - the West, America, and others - sits by and watches, encouraging the aggressor and oppressor, and then they hold a meeting for peace! What peace?! Which peace?! Between whom and whom? Those audacious oppressors stand before the Palestinians and say you must accept the Zionization. Their great crime is that they want to impose Zionization. They want to make the holy Quds, the qibla of the Muslims, the beloved Palestine, the center of their oppression and conspiracy. This is our main issue.

We hope that the Almighty God grants success to the Muslim nations, helps the Muslim governments to recognize their duties in the face of this bitter incident, this bitter event. Fortunately, the Palestinian nation, despite all these pressures, stands with great strength and resilience. One cannot believe it; a nation so resilient! So determined and so passionate! These strange pressures have not been able to push them back or make them retreat. From twenty years ago and thirty years ago, the Palestinians today are stronger, more determined, and more resolute; their capabilities have, thanks be to God, increased, and without a doubt, the Palestinians will be able to cut off the hand of the aggressor and dismantle the fraudulent and false regime from the land of Palestine.

O Lord! O Lord! Accept the worship of this nation, the efforts of this nation, the supplication and humility of this nation throughout the month of Ramadan and on the day of Eid al-Fitr with Your grace. O Lord! Open the doors of mercy and forgiveness upon these people. O Lord! Remove the knots and problems from the affairs of the people. O Lord! Make the movement of this nation towards progress and towards the peaks easier and faster day by day. O Lord! Forgive us. O Lord! Do not deprive us of the blessings of Ramadan, of the blessings of Eid al-Fitr, of the blessings of supplication and humility. O Lord! Envelop our deceased with Your grace and mercy. O Lord! Grant the Islamic Ummah increasing honor day by day.

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

By time. Indeed, mankind is in loss, except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.